


Pictures of You

by tabbytabbytabby



Series: Sterek Prompts [32]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Good Peter Hale, Hale Family Feels, Love Confessions, M/M, Photographs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 22:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12898335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: When Derek gets a mysterious package on his doorstep with no return address Stiles is suspicious. Inside they find a photo album Talia Hale had made before the fire.





	Pictures of You

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: “A package arrived for you, but there’s no return address and the box looks really old.”

Stiles is confused, and a little wary when he shows up at Derek’s to see a strange package on his doorstep. It’s not that Derek doesn’t get mail, he’s started becoming a productive member of society so of course he’s going to have things like bills. Derek just doesn’t order a lot of things, at least not that Stiles is aware of.  So whatever this package is, Stiles is betting it’s not here because Derek wanted it.

He walks up to it slowly, examining the packaging with an intense stare. Given everything they’ve dealt with he’s right to be suspicious. Granted, hurting Derek by mailing him something doesn’t scream supernatural. It doesn’t even scream hunter to him because he knows any hunter would want Derek to suffer and mailing him an explosive isn’t really going to achieve that.

Stiles is still staring at the package when Derek opens the door and peers out at him, “Is there a reason you’re just hanging out on my porch? You usually just let yourself in.”

Stiles glances up at him before gesturing down at the package, “A package arrived for you, but there’s no return address and the box looks really old.”

Derek’s brow furrows as he looks down at the package, “That’s strange.”

“So you weren’t expecting something?”

Derek shakes his head, “No. Cora sometimes sends me stuff but she usually puts her name on it and it wouldn’t look this worn down.”

Derek goes to pick it up and Stiles moves forward, gripping his arm with wide eyes, “What the hell dude? You can’t just pick it up! You don’t know what’s in there! It could be dangerous!”

Derek looks from the package back to Stiles, “I hardly doubt someone would try to hurt me by mailing me a package Stiles.”

Stiles had come to the same conclusion but he’s still suspicious and nowhere near sure enough to just let Derek pick it up, “Can’t you just sniff it or something and make sure it’s not dangerous?”

Derek rolls his eyes but bends down and sniffs at the package, his nose wrinkling in distaste, “It doesn’t smell dangerous, just really musty, like it’s been locked away for a long time.”

“I suppose it would be pointless to suggest you wait for me to call my Dad and have him call someone from the bomb squad to come inspect the package, wouldn’t it?”

Derek looks up at him, his lips twitching slightly, “I’d be able to smell if it was a bomb Stiles.”

“What if it’s cursed?” Stiles asks, “Can’t I just…Derek!”

Derek doesn’t wait for Stiles to finish, just picks up the package and stands up with it. He grins at Stiles as he brings it into the house, Stiles trailing behind him, “Nothing happened when I picked it up.”

“Of course not, you asshole. Bad things happen when you _open it_. So don’t… or just ignore me and open it anyway.”

Stiles sighs as Derek smirks at him and starts carefully opening the package. When nothing happens after the box is opened Stiles step closer, unable to hide his curiosity, “What do you think is in there?”

“We’re about to find out.”

Hit sits down on the couch, the box in front of him. Stiles takes a seat next to him. Derek pulls something out of the box, this one looking much more cared for, “Is that a photo album?”

Derek looks at him with wide eyes before looking back towards the album, on top of it is a note. Derek picks it up, reading it over before sucking in a breath. He hands the note over to Stiles who examines the note curiously

_Derek,_

_You probably don’t remember me but I knew your mother. We were close while she was still alive. She had me working on a spell so that she could have more pictures of your family without the lens flare.  I figured the spell out but sadly Talia died before I could get the pictures to her. I held onto them just in case. I heard you took up a more permanent residence in Beacon Hills and thought you deserved to have a piece of your family. I know going through these might be hard but just know that your mother loved you and would want you to have these._

_All the Best,  
S_

Stiles looks from the letter over to Derek who is holding the album tightly in his hands, “Do you have any idea who S could be?”

Derek shakes his head, clearing his throat before speaking, “My Mom knew a lot of people, weres and magic users alike. They came and went all the time. I didn’t talk to a lot of them. I didn’t even know she was doing this.”

“She probably wanted it to be a surprise,” Stiles says, “I know we were supposed to hang out but I can go if you want to be alone while you go through this.”

Derek’s hand shoots out, gripping Stiles’ arm. Not tight enough to hurt but enough for that Stiles wouldn’t easily be able to break free, “Stay. Please.”

Stiles settles back against the couch, motioning towards the photo album, “Whenever you’re ready big guy.”

Derek’s hands shake as he slowly flips open the cover for the album. The first picture is of Talia Hale in a wedding dress, the one below it of her and who Stiles assumes is Derek’s father. He’s proved right when Derek speaks, “This is my Mom and Dad on their wedding day,” Derek says before pointing to one of the next page, “and this must be after Laura was born and then… this is me as a baby.”

Stiles smiles, looking down at the picture of baby Derek wrapped snuggly in a blanket, face tucked into his mother’s neck, his father smiling down at them while Laura sits front of them smiling brightly up at her brother.

They sit like that for a while, Derek flipping through the album and explaining what the pictures are for. There’s pictures from Derek’s first birthday, little Derek smiling up at the camera with his face covered in cake. Then of Cora when she was born and of her first birthday, only this time instead of her being covered in cake Derek is once again covered in cake, Cora’s little hand pressed to his face while she laughs.

“I see she hasn’t changed much,” Stiles says, amusement clear in his voice.

“Even at one she was a pain when my ass,” Derek says, shaking his head in fondness, “Laura thought it was only fair since I was such a pain in her ass.”

Derek flips the page and Stiles stares at the picture, “Is that Peter?”

Derek nods, a sad smile appearing on his face, “It is. And that was his wife Joanna and they’re twins Luke and Leia.”

“You’re joking!”

Derek shakes his head, “Nope. Both of them were huge Star Wars fans.”

“Holy shit. And I thought _I_ loved Star Wars.”

“Peter could have given you a run for your money. At least on the original films.”

“Could have?” Stiles asks, then realizes what Derek is implying. Of course Peter wouldn’t hold the same fondness for it. It probably just reminded him of what he’d lost, “Oh right. So, what’s next?”

Derek continues flipping through the album, sharing stories with a fond smile on his face. Stiles is surprised how well he’s handling it. It can’t be easy seeing all these pictures of the people he lost, a reminder of the life he used to have. Stiles supposes it’s better than not having anything to remind him at all.

They reach the last page which holds a picture of a teenage Derek with Talia, the two of them are hugging, bright smiles on their faces. The one below it is a family photo. From the way Derek looks in the picture Stiles figures this must have been taken shortly before the fire.

Derek reverently strokes the pictures, wiping at his eyes with his free hand, “This was taken a couple days before the fire. Mom had insisted we all get together and take a family photo. Laura, Cora, and I had complained the whole time, thinking we had better things to do. We were such selfish little shits.”

He looks down, shoulders shaking with what Stiles realizes are silent sobs. Stiles wraps an arm around his shoulders, running hand soothingly up and down his arm, “You were teenagers. You had no way of knowing.”

Stiles knows it’s not much of an excuse but he doesn’t know what else to say. Nothing he says will make the pain or guilt go away. After a while Derek pulls back, wiping at his eyes before looking at Stiles, “She would have loved you. my Mom.”

“I’m sure I would have loved her. She seems like she was a great woman.”

Derek smiles, “She was. She reminds me a bit like you.”

“I don’t know how to feel about you saying I’m like your Mom,” Stiles says.

“I’m not saying you’re _like_ my Mom. Just that you remind me of her in ways. She was strong and independent. Not taking shit from anyone. Loyal.”

“She loved you,” Stiles says, barely resisting the urge to lower his eyes.

Derek stares at him for a moment, his voice barely above a whisper when he speaks, “ _Stiles_.”

Stiles coughs and looks away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “Sorry that was… inappropriate. We can just pretend I said that.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Derek asks.

Stiles looks back at Derek to find Derek’s gaze already on him, “You get what I was saying right? That I… I love you.”

Derek nods, lacing his fingers through Stiles’ “I know. I also know my Mom would want me to be happy. _You_ make me happy Stiles.”

“You make me happy too.”

Derek smiles, bringing a hand up to Stiles’ cheek, “Just so we’re clear, I love you too.”

Stiles’ answering grin is blinding, “Glad we’re on the same page.”

They lean forward at the same time, their lips brushing softly together in a slow, sweet kiss. Derek pulls back with a sigh, resting his forehead against Stiles’ “Thank you for staying and doing this with me. It would have been a lot harder without you here.”

“You know I’ll always be here when you need me,” Stiles says.

“That goes both ways.”

And it’s the truth. They both know that no matter what happens they can rely on each other.

Stiles convinces Derek to keep the photo album out in the open in case he wants to go through it again. That is, after he shows Peter who pulls Derek into a tight hug before thanking him, taking the picture Derek gives him, and leaving.

For Christmas a few years later Stiles has the family photo blown up and framed. Derek hangs it up in the hallway next to the picture of him and Stiles on their wedding day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day <3  
> Currently taking prompts for Thiam and/or Sterek from [this list](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/post/167494209818/prompt-list) or [this list](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/post/168056218878/dialogue-prompts) or any other prompts (:


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